يا صاحِ قَد عَظُمَ البَلاءُ وَطالا

وَاِزدَدتُ بَعدَكَ صَبوَةً وَخَبالا

O friend, affliction has grown and become prolonged

And after you I have become more passionate and lost

حُمِّلتُ مِمَّن لا أُنَوِّهُ بِاِسمِهِ

ثِقلاً كَأَنَّ بِهِ عَلَيَّ جِبالا

I have been burdened by one whom I dare not name

A heavy weight as if mountains weigh upon me

ماذا لَقيتُ مِنَ الهَوى وَسَقامِهِ

فيها تَبارَكَ رَبُّنا وَتَعالى

What have I endured of love and its sickness

Therein lies the greatness of our Lord

يا مَن تَفَرَّدَ بِالجَمالِ فَما تَرى

عَيني عَلى أَحَدٍ سِواهُ جَمالا

O you who are uniquely beautiful, do you not see

My eyes upon none but you find beauty

أَكثَرتُ في شِعري عَلَيكِ مِنَ الرُقى

وَضَرَبتُ في شِعري لَكِ الأَمثالا

I have invoked you frequently in my poetry

And made examples for you in my verses

فَأَبَيتُ إِلّا جَفوَةً وَتَمَنُّعاً

وَأَبيتُ إِلّا صَبوَةً وَضَلالا

Yet you refused except disdain and aloofness

And refused except passion and misguidance

بِاللَهِ قَولي إِن سَأَلتُكِ وَاِصدُقي

أَوَجَدتِ قَتلي في الكِتابِ حَلالا

By God, speak truth if I asked you

Did you find my murder legal in the Book

أَم لا فَفيمَ جَفَوتِني وَظَلَمتِني

وَجَعَلتِني لِلعالَمينَ نَكالا

Or not, so why did you spurn and oppress me

And make me degraded amongst all people

كَم لائِمٍ لَو كُنتُ أَسمَعُ قَولُهُ

قَد لامَني وَنَهى وَعَدَّ وَقالا

How many blamers, if I heard what they say

Would blame me, forbid me, rebuke and speak

إِنّي أَمِنتُ مِنَ الزَمانِ وَرَيبِهِ

لَمّا عَلِقتُ مِنَ الأَميرِ حِبالا

I trusted in the days and their vicissitudes

When I held fast to the ropes of the Prince

لَو يَستَطيعُ الناسُ مِن إِجلالِهِ

لَحَذَوا لَهُ حُرَّ الحُجوهِ نِعالا

If people could from his veneration

They would don shoes of gold in respect of him

ما كانَ هَذا الجودُ حَتّى كُنتَ يا

عَمرٌ وَلَو يَوماً تَزولُ لَزالا

This generosity was not so, until you were

A life, and if one day you would slip, you would stumble

إِنَّ المَطايا تَشتَكيكَ لِأَنَّها

قَطَعَت إِلَيكَ سَباسِباً وَرِمالا

Verily the steeds complain of you

For to you they have galloped over soft sands

فَإِذا أَتينَ بِنا أَتينَ مُخِفَّةً

وَإِذا رَجَعنَ بِنا رَجَعنَ ثِقالا

When they bring us to you they come lightly

And when they take us back they come heavily